Welder&#39;s armrest



July 9, 1946. A. G. GERDES WELDERS ARMRES'I Filed Aug. 16, 1943 IN V EN TOR. @yaazfi Germ T M %2-Mx mam mum Patented July 9, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE zfjei cl tf flowa Application August 161;:423; ail-2:13;!) No. 498,803

5 Claims.

i This invention relates to a new and improved device or apparatus for supporting the arm of a welder during welding operations.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a new and improved type of welders armfrom beneath, as well as those in which it is supported from above.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent by reference to the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which Figure i represents an elevational view of one form of apparatus for practising the invention; and

Figure 2 represents a sideview of the device shown in Figure l.

As illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the device shown comprises a plate-like member or support 2 having on the inside thereof a pair of hooks or fasteners 3 and t which are adapted to fit over a belt, or the like, in order to hold the plate 2 against the body approximately at the waistline.

In the lower part of plate 2 is a yoke member or support 8 rotatably mounted on a stud or pin Ill. The yoke member 8 is provided with holes at the outer end carrying a shaft or pivot member 92 on which is freely mounted a longitudinally extending supporting member iii. As will be seen, the member it is free to pivot or rotate around the shaft F2 from a position substantially parallel to the supporting plate 2 through a position substantially normal to said plate to a downward position approximately 180 from the position shown in the drawing. The normal working position of the member id is upward, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, but when the armrest is not in use and is disconnected from the arm of the user the member It, together with the elements attached thereto, may be allowed to hang by the side of the user. The'member it is also rotatable about pin iii and, hence, is free to move from left to right, as well as up and down.

A lazy tongs it, comprising a plurality of flat metal strips it, is fastened to a pair of rings 28 Z and 22 at the juncture points and 26, therings 20 and 22 being slidably mounted on the longitudinally extending supportin member M. A spring 28 is also slidably mounted on the memher It between the rings 20 and 22.

The lazy tongs is are constructed in awellknown manner with the crossed members I8 freely connected at their outer edges by pins 38 and at their points of intersection by pins 32. Thus, when the spring 25 is compressed and then released it will tend to press against the rings 20 and 22 which are fixed to thelazy tongs it at points 2t and 2B and cause the lazy tongs tomove outwardly while the pins 313 of the lazy tongs tend. to move toward each other.

The movement of the spring 28, and hence the movement of the lazy tongs I6, is controlled by a pair of collars 3d and 36 provided with set screws 39 and it, respectively. These collars 35 and 36 are slidable along the supporting member it and, hence, can be moved to a predetermined position to suit the needs of a particular person, thereby making it possible to compensate for difierences in the height of the user or permitting the device to be extended where the welding operation is to be carried out above the head of the user.

As will be apparent, the relatively small expansion of the spring 28 will produce a much greater expansion of the lazy tongs it. For example, in the device shown, with a spring capable of compression such that the distance between the points it and 22 is 2 inches when fully compressed and 3 inches when fully expanded, the lazy tongs can be increased in length from 10 inches when the spring is fully compressed to 19 inches when expanded; thus, an expansion of 1 inch in the spring 28 produces an expansion of 9 inches in the lazy tong i6.

At the upper end of the lazy tongs I6 is an annrest 62 adapted to support the upper arm of the welder. The armrest 42 is fastened to the upper part 54 of the lazy tongs It by means of a rivet or stud 66 passing through the element 48, which in turn is fixed to the element M by welding or in any other suitable manner. The rivet or stud 46 loosely engages the armrest 42, ermitting the latter to swerve or rotate in order to accommodate the arm of the welder in difier'ent positions. The member it slidably engages a guide member '50 and can be disengaged therefrom merely by lifting upwardly. Thus, the armrest 42 can be inverted and, with the sides thereof against the lazy tongs I B, can be used to hold the arm of the welder from above with the assistance of the strap 52 which is 3 fastened to one end of the armrest 42 by means of a pin 54, or other suitable fastening means.

When the device is not in use, the lazy tongs ii are preferably compressed and held in place by means of the catch '56 which is pivotally mounted in the end of the longitudinal arm I4 and can be moved upwardly from the position shown in Figure 2, so that the hook portion 58 will hook the lazy tongs l6 above the intersections 32 or, if desired, above the armrest 42 at th point where it is fastened to pin 46. When thus held against the compression of the spring 28, the hook 58 will retain the lazy tongs IS in a retracted or compressed state. A spring 60 is preferably connected across the lower ends or the lazy tongs i6, as shown in Figure 1, and is provided as an auxiliary tension member to increase the resistance of the lazy tongs to compression, which is desirable in some cases. The spring 60 may be disengaged by removing either of the hooked ends 62 from the holes 64.

A plurality of guides or brackets 66, 68 and Ill are fastened to the supporting plate 2 to hold the welding cable, generally indicated by the numeral 12. As will be observed, the bracket 68 is turned outwardly and the brackets 66 and 16 inwardly. Also, the bracket 68 is offset laterally and outwardly with respect to the brackets 66 and 10, so that the Welding cable 12 may be inserted from the inside of the brackets 66 and and the outside of the bracket 68 thereby firmly holding it in place.

The various portions of the apparatus are preferably made of metal, with the exception of the flexible strap 52 which may be of leather. However, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to any particular materials of construction.

Among the advantages of the invention are the provision of a relatively compact device for supporting the arm of a welder which is adjustable to practically every conceivable welding position and which, when not in use, can be adjusted so as not to interfere with the movements of the user. Devices of this type can be constructed of relatively light material and are simple and inexpensive to produce.

Having thus described the inventtion, what I 4 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A welders arm supporting device comprising a resiliently expansible arm support, means for supporting said arm support from the body of the user and means for inverting said arm support with respect to said supporting means.

2. A welders arm supporting device comprising an armrest mounted on one end of a resiliently expansible lazy tongs, supporting means associated with said lazy tonss, means for slidably fastening said lazy tongs to said supporting means whereby said lazy tongs can slide as a unit from one position to another on said supporting means, and means for fixing said lazy tongs against movement as a unit with respect to said supporting means in any predetermined position.

3. A welders arm supporting device comprising an armrest mounted on the end of a resiliently expansible lazy tongs, a rod-like supporting member, fastening means comprising a plurality of spaced ring-like elements fastened to said lazy tongs adjacent one end thereof and slidably disposed around said rod-like supporting member, a spring coiled around said supporting member between said ring-like elements, and a slidable stop on the outside of each of said ring-like elements for limiting the movement of said spring and for fixing said lazy tongs as a unit in a predetermined position with respect to said rod-like supporting member.

4. In a welders arm supporting device, an arm support, resilient means comprisin a lazy tongs associated with said arm support adapted to contract and expand during use, means for limiting the contraction and expansion of said lazy tongs, and means for supporting said lazy tongs from the body of the user.

5. A welders arm supporting device comprising an armrest mounted on one end of a resiliently expansible lazy tongs, means associated with said lazy tongs to limit their expansion during use to a predetermined amount, means for supporting said lazy tongs'from the body of the user, and means for preventing the expansion of said lazy tongs when not in use.

AUGUST G. GERDES. 

